Harry Potter and the Decree of HogwartsSequel
by CrazyPoet
Summary: Dumbledore unleashes a powerful weapon upon his death--the Wizarding University of Aurora Borealis to be headed by seventh year Harry Potter. Though most believe Voldemort has already won, Harry and his friends must train the graduates of Hogwarts or los
1. The Last Letter

Author's Note—Thank you for choosing to read Harry Potter and the Decree of Hogwarts! The first four chapters have been revamped, since I thought some of you might enjoy a few extra details. I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I encourage you to review, as I am apt to read those reviews, and in turn, read your stories. Also, if you're interested, please look at my Harry Potter poem, Ghost Dances, and my recently posted version of the last several pages of the seventh book. Remember always,

"Never tickle a sleeping dragon!" –Hogwarts Motto

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

As Harry huddled in the crumbling remains of his bedroom, he at first believed the harsh screech to be the remnants of another dream. It was hard to tell, whether or not he was dreaming, as both realities were now equally unbearable. Dudley had made a similar sound, but no—that wasn't right, because he was already dead, all of the Dursleys were. Killed, in an airplane crash on a vacation to Australia. Harry remembered watching the news that day, delighting in the freedom to switch between stations. He remembered watching the report about a crashed airplane, diverting his attention to the story. However, it had been at that moment another death eater raid swept through the neighborhood, shaking the house and downing power lines. They weren't even looking for him; Voldemort no longer cared about him. Voldemort had won, and everyone knew it. Harry was certain Dumbledore had placed a Fidelius charm on the house anyway, though in the depths of a place in his mind Harry tried to abandon, he almost wished they would come, ending his sleepless nights for good.

_"Don't think that way,_" he chided himself. _"There's Ron and Hermione to think about…and what about the prophecy?"_

The prophecy had been weighing heavily on Harry's mind over the last few weeks. Could he really have the power to put an end to this mess?

"_Don't be ridiculous,"_ he thought to himself. _"What are you going to do, ambush Godric's hollow?"_ Voldemort no longer cared about murdering him personally. All of his death eaters were given the order to bring him in dead or alive long ago. He would be killed before he got within thirty feet of his old home.

Harry hadn't been invited to go to Australia. He hadn't wanted to, it was his last summer as a Hogwarts student, possibly his last summer alive, and he wanted to enjoy every painful moment. He stirred slightly, as a piece of plaster from the ceiling dusted his head with a fine white powder. However, it was the obnoxious snores of Mrs. Figg's cats that finally aroused him from his uneasy sleep, only to find a stark white owl staring sternly at him.

"Hedwig!" he cried, smiling for the first time in months. "I was beginning to think something had happened. What've you got that's so urgent?" Owls were rarely sent anymore; many were tracked to their owners, who were then slaughtered. Again, Harry was forced to hide without any communication to the outside world. However, this time, he had been promised a promotion into the Order of the Phoenix, and so he reluctantly agreed. Ironically, the Order brought about sickened laughs among most wizards. They were outnumbered one hundred to one by Voldemort supporters. Death eaters picked them off like squirming ants. With a slightly nauseous feeling, Harry opened the enveloped and read, praying it wasn't another announcement of death:

_Dear Harry Potter,_

_If you are reading this letter, I have unleashed the Decree of Aurora Borealis, a weapon destined to bring about the downfall of Voldemort. As it turns out, Dolores Umbridge was absolutely correct about my developing a secret weapon! But the weapon was on my desk the entire time. However, in order to make this weapon powerful enough to truly create a formidable opposition to Voldemort, I have had to make a most significant sacrifice, that sacrifice being my life. Please do not mourn me, for I stand by the statement I made to you not so many years ago…I never truly leave those who leave their loyalty with me. You are my son, Harry, in every sense of the word, although we do not share common blood. I am so proud of you, for I already know what you have accomplished and what you will accomplish, because you could do no less. _

_After you are through reading this letter, do not mourn for me. Tap your wand to this paper. Only your wand will activate the weapon. I am with your parents, Sirius, and my dear wife Aurora. We are all with you, if only you believe we are. I have enclosed Hogwarts Express tickets. Ron and Hermione have been sent letters and tickets as well, it is imperative that you board the train promptly after reading this letter. Do not wait, in case this owl has been intercepted. Staff and Order Members have been alerted and will know how to help you. _

_Harry, I love you as I loved Hogwarts, and always will._

_--Albus_

Harry wasn't sure how to react--naturally, he felt hatred, anger, sadness, but also, he felt a strange sense of, something he couldn't put his finger on…hope? At a loss for emotions, he pulled out his wand and tapped the letter, his hand surprisingly steady. He watched in amazement as the paper filled with an exuberant golden color and the letters rearranged to form new words. At last, he held before him, the Decree of Aurora Borealis: the weapon destined to help him bring about the end of the third dark age.

_Aurora__ Borealis University___

_A Wizard Advanced Study and Combat Preparation Facility_

_Proudly Founded by A. and A. Dumbledore_

Location: Known to those who need to know. Under the secure protection and wards of the contract hereby released to the new headmaster, listed below. Please see headmaster for further details.

Houses: Named after Phoenixes of R. Ravenclaw, G. Griffyndor, S. Slytherin, and H. Hufflepuff, are as follows. Students shall be sorted based on the Wizarding Aptitude Neurological Dissertation (W.A.N.D.) entrance examinations, following a sorting hat ceremony. Sorting Hat is ready and waiting at the facilities.

Raewing--Accepting those of exceeding wit and intelligence.

Farwal--Accepting those of exceeding bravery and loyalty

Vipertor--Accepting those of exceeding power and ambition

Silvertil--Accepting those of exceeding ethic and dedication

Staff: Enclosed is the list of the staff members. These have been hand selected by Phoenix Order members due to their performances in academic matters, and life-threatening situations. Positions are non-negotiable.

Dark Arts Application: Professor H. Granger

Transmogrification and Arithmancy Application: Professor G. Weasley (Head of Raewing House)

Hexology and Charmology: Professor R. Weasley (Head of Farwal House)

Advanced Herbology: Professor Longbottom (Head of Silvertil House)

Necromancy: Professor Lovegood (Head of Vipertor House)

Astrology and Divination: Professor Bane

Mastery of Magical Creatures: Professor Hagrid

**(Due to the accelerated nature of these courses, no further courses are available. Students will also be expected to attend daily combat training sessions to be headed by heads of houses.)**

Deputy Headmistress: Hermione Granger

Deputy Headmaster: Ron Weasley

-.-

-.-

-.-

-.-

**_Headmaster: Harry Potter_**


	2. King's Cross Station

Harry blinked and removed his glasses, cleaning them fervently, then placing them back. Again, he read:

"Headmaster…Harry Potter."

Dumbledore had announced his death, handed over a weapon, and placed he, Harry, as Headmaster of a non-existent school, all in the context of a small, innocent, letter. 

A year ago, he might have cried. He might have raged at the unfairness of his life. After all, it was he who was supposed to defeat Voldemort, to save the world, to allow mothers to tuck their little ones in at night, knowing they would awake to find their children, all in one piece--no arms across the room, far from where they used to swing at the sides of their hosts. No one else knew, save Dumbledore, about the prophecy. Now he was alone, alone with his secret, and an entire school to manage. Again, a small strange feeling surged through him, as if the whisper of Dumbledore's name had brought with it his presence. Again, Harry felt hope, not for himself, but for his friends. By now they had received the same letters, and were waiting for him. At last, he knew with finality, what he had to do. 

Grabbing a small piece of parchment, Harry scribbled a small note to Mrs. Figg, who had bravely watched over him, even when the Death Eaters had still been hot on his trail. Gingerly, he placed his explanation next to an empty cat food dish, hurrying back upstairs to gather his things. Carefully he packed his meager possessions--a few tattered robes, his mirror, given to him by Sirius, his snitch socks so carefully selected by Dobby, and a first edition version of Hogwarts: A History, given to him by Hermione just weeks ago. (He'd already eaten Ron's package of Weasley Wheezes Wunchies.) With one last glance around the dilapidated remains of the place he had called home for seventeen years, he took a deep breath, grasped his Firebolt, and apparated to King's Cross Station. 

If only it had been that easy. 

Harry had never enjoyed apparating, and in fact, in his sixth year, had been forbidden from doing so. He could still hear Snape's voice hissing in his ear, 

__

"To apparate one must open his mind completely to his next location. You cannot afford that luxury, Potter! Just think, if you had a little more self control, perhaps Sirius could be teaching you now…"

He was doing it again, he was allowing himself to slip into his past! Even in the brief second he traveled from one plane to the next, Voldemort was sensing him, unlocking the prophecy, destroying all hope of a future. 

"There you are Harry," whispered a voice Harry had come to confuse with his own.

"_I've been looking for you. I just thought you might want to know, Dumbledore's death was perhaps the happiest moment of my life. In fact, I think perhaps you are the only one I might enjoy killing more." _

"NOOOO!" Cried Harry, his scar surging with newfound pain. He had to fight, it couldn't end now, just when he had found his weapon…

Slowly, he began to close his mind, blocking out Voldemort's sneering remarks. 

__

"Just a little further, what's this? A letter…what does it say, Harry? Read it to me…"

Harry tried harder, this time thinking of Fawkes; in fact, he could hear the Phoenix singing now.

__

"Who is that, Harry, is that a friend of yours? Who is she Harry…just a little further…"

"King's Cross, King's Cross," Harry thought, trying desperately to arrive. The song was getting louder…

"HARRY!" 

"Stay away from me!" he screamed. 

"Give him some space, Hermione!" yelled Ron.

"Wha-Voldemort! Hermione, sorry, song…"

"Here mate," said Ron, "Just sit still for a second. This'll help." 

As Harry's vision returned, he saw the familiar surrounding of his childhood--The large brick pillars, the trolleys, the Hogwarts Express, steam billowing above. However, the atmosphere was ashen, the sounds of bustling students and anxious parents far away. In the distance he saw Hermione-- her figure gaunt her face pale--leaning over what appeared to be something small and silver. Ron was sitting nearby, looking much the same, and stroking a rather large, colorful bird. As the bird began to cry, he understood finally, the song…everything made sense… "Fawkes!"

"Yeah," grinned Ron. Dumbledore sent him… with my letter. He looked away, not wanting to reveal his bloodshot eyes.

Hermione walked over, hiding the necklace under her shirt. "It's a time turner, the one from our third year," she squeaked, her voice strained. I found it, in my…my…my letter," she finally finished, a tear sliding down her cheek.

Harry remembered a similar tear, belonging to Dumbledore.

"We can't stay here long," sighed Harry, stumbling to his feet. The Hogwarts Express gave a half-hearted call. "Voldemort saw me, when I apparated, I'm sure of it."

"He didn't see anything else, did he?" asked Hermione, looking apprehensive. 

"No, thanks to Fawkes, anyway," he replied. Hey, what the--

Suddenly, a roaring sound filled his ears. He heard Hermione cry, "_Disaparitio!" _as she and Ron disappeared behind a pillar.He tried motioning for Ron and Hermione to run to the train, but he couldn't see them. In fact, the arm he was trying to motion with wasn't there at all. 

"Don't panick, it's just a temporary invisibility charm, it just erases you for a few minutes," he heard Hermione scream. "Voldemort must have seen King's Cross and sent his Death Eaters. Ron's already on the train, you've got to try and run, but be careful, you won't be able to see your feet!"

Grabbing his things, which thankfully, were still visible, he ran clumsily toward the train. "Don't wait for me!" he yelled, not sure where anyone was. "ARG!" he cried, as he tripped over his own feet." 

"Keep down!" he heard a voice yell, as a Death Eater whooshed over his head.

The next voice Harry recognized as that of Lucius Malfoy. "Board the train, you idiots! I want any passengers brought to me unharmed! If you see the Potter boy, ignore him!" 

To his horror, Harry saw his feet begin to reappear, along with Hermione, who was one pillar over. 

"Harry," she yelled, "I need you to trust me. Please, please, I promise, we'll all get out of here, but you've just got to listen! Don't ask questions!" 

Harry didn't like the sound of her voice, but she had such a look of desperation. Reluctantly, he set aside his instincts and nodded his head in consent. 

"RUN!" she shouted, pointing at the train.

For once, Harry was glad he had listened; this had been his plan as well. Yet, this seemed to easy, he was almost there, nothing had happened…

"Nice try, Potter," hissed Malfoy, as Harry fell to the ground, a full body bind clenching each of his bones. "Now, say goodbye t-"

"CRUCIO! _Animorphus_! Now, Harry, go!"

He felt Hermione's small hand clench his arm and pull him aboard the train. 

"Look at that, 11:00 AM, on the dot," muttered Ron grimly, as they train began to move. 


	3. The Arrival

It was a bleak September afternoon when Harry, Ron, and Hermione reached the castle. Each sound of the train screeching against the rails had made them jump. The rails sounded stunningly similar to the unearthly cries of death eaters. It seemed the sounds were amplified by the emptiness of the compartments. Absent were the giggling gossipers, threats of hexes flying between houses, booming resonation of exploding snap games gone awry, cries of laughter brought on by canary creams! What he wouldn't give for the sound of one person's laughter. 

As the three felt the train slow, Hermione pulled out her wand and levitated their luggage down from the upper compartments. 

"Watch it, under age wizards can't use magic during the summer holidays," remarked Ron wryly.

Hermione gave him a small, sad smile. They all knew that the Misuse of Magic Office had long since been obliterated. In fact, the entire ministry was no more than a feeding ground for thestrals. It seemed that Hogwarts was the only safe magical haven, until of course, Harry had received his letter. 

"Well, we're here," he said, unnecessarily. "Do you think, maybe, there really is a new school waiting for us?"

Hermione gave him a long, thoughtful look before answering. "I suppose there must be, if Dumbledore gave his own life to create it. I suppose we're about to find out. Still, we don't know for certain that the death eaters didn't follow us, let's use your cloak!"

Harry looked away. Hermione, realizing her mistake, gasped in horror. "Harry, I didn't mean—"

"It's okay," he muttered. Voldemort had taken his cloak in their last encounter. He now wore it whenever he slaughtered a victim. Harry's stomach turned.

"So what if there is a brand new school?" said Ron. "What do we know about running a school? I'm gonna be the worst bloody teacher…"

"Dumbledore trusts us," said Hermione assertively. "Let's just get off this train. That's the first step. The next steps…will be up to fate."

Harry and Ron nodded, slowly stepping off the train, their luggage floating faithfully behind.

As they stepped off the train, Harry felt as if a dementor had sucked the last of his hope out of him. Before them, amidst a lush, green landscape adorned with a lake that would have made any giant squid jealous, was a smoldering pile – the ruins of their dream school, their last hope.

Ron turned away in defeat, but then yelled, "Hey! The train is leaving!"

"It's a trap!" moaned Harry.

"No, it's not at all!" said Hermione, her voice suddenly bright. "C'mon!"

Grudgingly, Harry allowed her to pull him along towards the broken castle, his throat burning with smoke. 

"Really," he said angrily, pulling away as the heat from the flames intensified. "What do you plan to do? Rub it in my face some more?"

Hermione looked hurt, and instantly, he felt guilty. "I'm sorry, I'm just….sad, I guess," he finished lamely.

Hermione gave him a small smile and beckoned for Ron to come over. "Do you two recall our run in with Devil's Snare? Do you remember when I asked you to trust me?"

Harry nodded, frustrated with her evasive comments.

"Well," she continued, "Trust me now, and jump into the fire." 

"That's it!" exclaimed Ron. "She's gone starkers! I should have seen this coming." 

But suddenly Harry knew exactly why Hermione wanted him to jump to his doom. These weren't ordinary ruins. They were a disguise, just like those surrounding Hogwarts. 

"After you," grinned Hermione as together they jumped into the fire, leaving a horrified Ron gaping at their disappearance. 


	4. Face of the Enemy

Chapter Four: Face of the Enemy

----------------------------------------------

And then they were in. Before Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood a castle even more magnificent than Hogwarts itself. Giant towers rose in each direction, adorned with bright flags, each with a glowing phoenix. Fawkes instantly flew from Ron's shoulder, making a sweep of the premises. With a contended trill, he disappeared behind a turret.

"C'mon," beckoned Ron. "He'll catch up with us later. Let's go inside!"

Hermione nodded in agreement, pulling her cloak more tightly around her.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Harry, as Ron ran ahead through the giant glass double doors.

"Yes," sighed Hermione. "It's just…that unforgivable curse took a lot out of me, I guess."

It was then that Harry remembered she had used the Cruciatus Curse to get them safely aboard the train. He had never used one himself, though he had tried unsuccessfully in his fifth year. "How did you learn to do them anyway?" he asked softly.

Hermione's eyes shifted about for a moment, before she answered. "After Lucius Malfoy killed my parents last summer, I was very angry, so filled with rage!  I should have been there, you know…instead of hiding, as Dumbledore had asked.  Maybe he wouldn't have escaped then."

Harry patted her back consolingly, remembering that Dumbledore had requested that all Hogwarts students remain at the school over summer holidays for their own protection.  He knew how it felt, not to be able to help a loved one.  Silently, he was very glad Hermione had not been there, or she too might have been killed.  A new wave of anger coursed through him.  Voldemort's death eaters had a particular taste for muggleborns.  His resolve to assume his new role of headmaster surged. 

"As you remember, I stayed at Hogwarts before being reassigned to Lupin's house," continued Hermione.  It was before Crabbe and Goyle burned the library down. I put all of my energy into reading, learning new spells. I didn't hold back."

To Harry's surprise, her face was streaked with tears.

"Harry—I, well, one day, when I was studying, Winky came to offer me some butterbeer. I was in the middle of learning the Cruciatus Curse, and I had gathered so much anger, I knew I could do it…I had to do it, to release the anger, perform the curse…" She let out a sob.

"But…I didn't mean to, I liked Winky! B-but she just came in at the wrong moment and I had to let the anger go, I just had to! She died, Harry, she died. The curse won't kill wizards, but a little house elf…she didn't stand a chance."

Harry stared at his friend, at a loss for words. Silently, he grabbed her hand, and walked her into the castle.

"That's all the past now," he said finally, pushing open the great glass doors. "Our job is to save the future."

Hermione said nothing at first, but grabbed his hand tighter, and walked with him into the school.  "Harry?" she asked as they stepped inside.

"Can I start a S.P.E.W. branch here?" 

Harry let out a small laugh and replied, "Of course, Hermione, of course." 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Words could not describe the hall before them. It was the size of three of the Hogwarts Great Halls. Giant armored knights guarded each corridor, their sharp axes gleaming with light streaking from the stained glass windows. As Harry looked up, he noticed at least five stories, but oddly, no stairs. However, he was distracted by a globe, gleaming in the center of the room. Ron had already noticed, and was turning it about.

"Hey Harry, check this out!" he shouted.

Harry walked over, wondering what the globe did. As he approached, he noticed first the water, which seemed eerily life-like. To his amazement, Ron stuck his finger into the Atlantic Ocean, and when he drew it back, it was wet. But the water wasn't the best feature. To Harry's amazement, the globe seemed to contain thousands of glowing dots, each moving about, and some concentrated in areas more than others. "What could this mean?" he wondered aloud.

Hermione approached the globe and tapped it with her wand. A key appeared before them, hovering in midair. A voice boomed from the sphere. The voice of Albus Dumbledore.

_"Welcome to Aurora Borealis University's global tracking system. To view the activity of muggles, please tap the blue dots. To view the activity of Voldemort supporters, please tap the green dots. To view the activity of decent wizards, please tap the white dots. If you would like more detail, please tap your wand on the country of your choice. Thank you, and have a nice day."_

"Wow," exclaimed Ron. "Like the Mauraders Map, but better!" Eagerly, he began tapping about.

"Hey, look at this!" shouted Hermione. She was standing at the far wall, looking up. Above her hung the face of a great clock with fourteen snake-shaped hands. Each bore the face of a death eater, with the exception of one. Plastered on the big hand, was the face of Voldemort. This clock, like the Weasley clock Dumbledore had been so fond of, did not have numbers. In their place were locations, such as "Diagon Alley," "Godric's Hollow," "Hogwarts," and "Aurora Borealis." Where the twelfth number usually lie, was "Dead."

The big hand was now on Godric's Hollow, which Voldemort had turned into his headquarters. Harry ignored his churning stomach.

"There's and inscription," said Hermione. "It's in the middle, see? _Vulstis__ Cullcator_. Face of the enemy."

Harry shuddered. "So when the clock strikes twelve, it's all over. Here's to hoping time flies."

Hermione gave a nod. "We'd better figure out how to get upstairs. I want to find out where my office is!"

"And I want to find my bedroom!" said Ron eagerly.

Harry agreed, but secretly he had hoped to search for a quidditch pitch. He knew it was ridiculous, but once a seeker, always a seeker.

They decided to split up, and each try a different corridor. Harry took the passageway on the far bottom left, trying the door at the end. It opened easily. As he stepped inside, he found himself outside, staring at the largest, most complex quidditch stadium he'd ever seen.

"_Accioaparato__ Firebolt_!" he called, as his Firebolt popped into his hands. Mrs. Weasley had taught him that little trick. He hoped she was still okay. With an excited leap of his heart, he dashed into the air for a better look. Quickly, he realized that the quidditch pitch was actually a magnificent training ground, ridden with obstacle courses, traps, and mazes. He couldn't wait to show Ron. After a few laps, he headed back indoors, eager to report his findings. Hermione and Ron came running at him, both talking at once.

"It's like the room of requirement, they change and-"

"They take you upstairs if you just think it-"

"Stop!" cried Harry, his head ringing.

"You explain, Hermione," said Ron excitedly.

"Oh Harry, it's wonderful!" she cried. "You simply choose a corridor, think of which room you would like to be in, and it takes you there! Upstairs or down, it doesn't matter. Try it!"

And so, for the next three hours, the trio explored the castle. They discovered epic kitchens, (no house elves, much to Hermione's delight) giant classrooms, a greenhouse big enough to house five hippogriffs, a great hall with plush dining chairs--tables with embroidered silk table clothes and a library that would have made Madam Pince feint dead away. But still, best of all, was the headmaster's office. Harry knew where it was right away, because a great stone Phoenix guarded the entrance. As he approached, it turned its head and spoke to him. After all he had been through, Harry wasn't even surprised.

"Welcome Headmaster," she trilled. "What is the password?"

Harry thought hard for a moment, then replied, "midnight."

The Phoenix nodded, once again became inanimate, and sunk into the ground. Harry stepped inside, his heart beating fast, and his inner voice reminding him that he was indeed about to become the leader of an entire school. Once inside, he couldn't believe his eyes. It was an exact replica of Dumbledore's office, with only one small change. There was a portrait of Dumbledore hanging on the wall.

"Welcome," said the portrait.

"Dumbledore….Albus!" said Harry, his voice cracking.

"Welcome to the office. I know this is overwhelming, but you have made it here, and that is the hard part. As for the rest, that is up to you. I have faith in you, as you once did in me. Term begins Sept. 1st. Check your desk for a list of students. Staff members will arrive tomorrow.  Oh, and I believe that you'll be wanting to chat with the sorting hat about his new duties. Have a wonderful first term, Harry!" And with that, Dumbledore fell asleep, finally getting a long deserved nap.

After hours of pouring through new student names, wondering how he was going to contact them all without owl post and consorting with the sorting hat on the new houses, Harry heard Ron's voice boom through his office.

"Hey Harry, check out the magical intercom system Hermione's set up, cool huh?"

"Sorry Harry," he heard Hermione's voice say. "It's still a bit loud. Anyway, want to join us in the dining hall for a bit of dinner? I made meatloaf."

Ron's voice whispered, "You'd best stay up there, mate."

He then distinctly heard the sound of someone's arm being punched.

"I'll be right down!" he called, stretching.

"Yes," he thought to himself. It was going to be a very good term.


End file.
